


lit

by Iteunmul



Series: 10 days of sulay aha [4]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Desert, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Rivals to Lovers, TECHNICALLY ETL AND RTL IDK IT DOESNT QUITE FIT, implied fighting, think gerudo from breath of the wild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28092108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iteunmul/pseuds/Iteunmul
Summary: Don't run wild with your imagination, the king never gets weary.(Junmyeon finds himself pushing the Crown Prince in order to better him).
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Series: 10 days of sulay aha [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054949
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	lit

“Your Highness,” Junmyeon murmurs quietly, glancing towards Yixing with the blankest look he can muster. He carefully pulls out his prized dagger, and makes sure the eye contact holds. 

They’re surrounded by the enemy on all sides. The men adorned in red and masks that cover their faces like the _cowards_ they are, their feet balancing on the sand that stretches for as far as the eye can see. Equipped in their hands are all sorts of weapons, which Junmyeon eyes with ease.

Even though Junmyeon’s heart should be racing, is expected to race, he’s calm. He’s calm because even though he’s _technically_ on the brink of death he already knows what’s going to happen, like always. Junmyeon would be a fool if he didn’t use his gift to meticulously study all the branches and paths the future could hold. 

In fact, the entire Kim household, the real power behind the throne, would be fools if they didn’t. Their power, inherited through blood and lineage alone set them apart from any other ducal house that dared to try and question them. 

Minseok was blessed to read the thoughts of others, Jongin the ability to move locations with a snap of his fingers, Jongdae could bend objects to do his will, and Junmyeon could access every single inch and all the possibilities for the future. 

Telepathy, teleportation, telekinesis, and time. 

Of course, Yixing doesn’t put two and two together. It’s like Junmyeon’s ability lingers in the back of his mind, and he never really remembers it when he should. He constantly forgets about Junmyeon’s careful poring over the future. Sure, he thinks with his head and not his heart, which is good considering how he’s to lead the Kingdom in the future, but he’s impulsive. Indifferent, almost. And it shows in the way his grip tightens on the hilt of his scimitar, but his face remains arranged in it’s normal bored manner. 

He needs a challenge, and Junmyeon will provide once. Or so Junmyeon tries to reason. Junmyeon isn’t a saint, his motives run a little deeper, a little _darker_ than just trying to edge Yixing on. No, what Junmyeon is about to do is fueled by Yixing’s recklessness. If he wants to be impulsive, _fine._ Junmyeon will repay him in kind. What’s about to come is the price Junmyeon will make Yixing pay. A minor price, but a price Yixing and Junmyeon alike won’t take lightly. 

Yixing answers him with a careful look back, trying not to set off anything that could be considered a move in the enemy’s eyes. His attire, as always, is never battle appropriate. Loose linens wrapped around him to let heat escape and the deep V of the fabrics on his chest that reveals more than Junmyeon would like to admire, will protect him little. But it speaks towards his skill. The weapons he carries are extensions of himself, of his vigorous training and natural talent that let him get away with it. 

Yixing is bored, and this fight will provide just about no entertainment. 

Like Junmyeon said, he needs a challenge. One which Junmyeon already knows the outcome to. 

Junmyeon keeps his eyes locked with Yixing. 

“Defend me.” Is all Junmyeon says as explanation, letting the smile he’s been holding back curl the edges of his lips upwards. Extending his arm out gracefully he uncurls his fingers from around the dagger, and lets it fall towards the sand. In what feels like slow motion, Yixing’s eyes widen in shock and he gapes at Junmyeon, a slew of angry words ready to fall from his mouth. 

If it were anyone else they would be cowering in fear, unwilling to face the wrath of the crown prince — who’s anger could scorch more than the heat-warmed sand on their feet, the heat from the sun itself even. But Junmyeon isn’t anyone else, he’s a Kim. And he’s prepared. 

The reaction from the enemy is immediate, the moment the pointed tip of the dagger touches the ground the crowd erupts. Charging towards them with repressed anger and their swords waggling in the air. 

The battle wasn’t quick (especially not with Junmyeon’s teasing cries of _‘save me, my Prince!’_ and his refusal to so much as lift a finger). But Yixing did it, as Junmyeon had expected. 

That was then. Now all the enemy bodies lay around them either dead or on their way to it. Junmyeon knows what’s about to come, it’s evident in the way Yixing marches over to him with a face set in stone. 

Yixing’s hands pull the fabric bunched near Junmyeon’s throat upwards. He’s angry, and Junmyeon ignores the little flutter of excitement that bursts through him. The anger is so visible in his eyes, burning away while Junmyeon manages to keep cool. 

“Is safety even a priority on your list?” Yixing grits out, his face dangerously close to Junmyeon. 

_“Your_ safety is,” Junmyeon replies evenly, he’s trying to keep his own anger in check. 

A few suffocating moments pass, and Junmyeon can see the way Yixing’s thoughts are whirling in his mind. Fast and angry, filled with rage towards Junmyeon— who decided that now would be the perfect time to get reckless. He loosens his grip on Junmyeons clothes, his jaw clenched. 

Junmyeon glances around, looking at all the bodies discarded around them. “You certainly made quick work out of them.” 

“Someone get the medic over here. _Now.”_ Yixing says lowly, an order uttered in a tone that would be impossible to defy or deny. 

“It’s just a scratch Your Highness—” 

“Shut up,” Yixing says decisively, his jaw clenched from where Junmyeon can see it. “You could’ve died, do you realize that?” 

“I knew you could do it,” the grip around his clothes loosens, and Junmyeon lightly taps his hand away. “You have the skills.” 

“It has nothing to do with what I can do, and everything to do with what you _didn’t.”_ Yixing hisses, kicking a loose spear to the side. “What sort of madness possessed you then? What part of you thought that—” Yixing cuts himself off with a sharp intake of breath, as if he’s trying to calm down the fire that’s been lit inside him. “What were you _thinking?”_

Now this, this is something Junmyeon is familiar with. Yixing’s cool, simmering anger. He never yelled, never bothered to raise his voice but his _eyes._ His eyes themselves could render someone stammering and begging for forgiveness. The cold and dangerous look that passed over his face the moment something displeased him.

“What were _you_ thinking?” Junmyeon finally snaps, he’s been trying to not let his patience run out but enough is _enough._ “Infiltrating and enemy camp without guards? Without a plan?” 

Junmyeon is not one to be rendered speechless. Not by his own brothers, not by the gods, not by Yixing. 

“I don’t need guards,” The gold around Yixing’s neck gleams in the sun. 

“Right,” Junmyeon’s eyes narrow sharply. “But that won’t always be the case. What if next time they ambush us it’s near some civilians? You were able to defend me but you’d be lucky, _lucky,”_ Junmyeon repeats anger dripping off his words, “If you just had to defend one person.”

“You could’ve died.” 

Junmyeon lets out a bark of laughter, the previous vein of excitement souring into frustration. 

“Do you think I’m that stupid, your Highness?” Junmyeon hisses, “Do you think I wouldn’t have walked into that situation without knowing _exactly_ what was going to happen?” 

There’s a flicker of something in Yixing’s eyes, a change from his usual bored or anger filled disposition. 

Junmyeon takes a step forward, not willing to let this go. Maybe, for once, Junmyeon was letting his emotions get to him— but this was the _Kingdom_ they’re talking about. Yixing needs to get it together if he ever wants to lead them into prosperity. 

And Junmyeon’s job, as a loyal dog to the throne, will always be to shove him in the right direction. Every step was meticulously thought out, prepared for, he’s spent _hours_ dedicated to sleepless nights and sleepless days so he could pore over the future to see what could happen and how it could be prevented. 

“Unlike you,” Junmyeon presses the tip of his finger against Yixing’s bare chest. “I can’t afford to rely on luck.” 

“You always speak in riddles,” Yixing mutters, the anger in him cooling down to what Junmyeon knows isn’t humility. 

“You know I have future sight,” Junmyeon says, staring at his own finger and then back up to Yixing’s eyes. “I did what was necessary to teach a lesson.” 

“You risked your life.” Yixing meets his gaze calmly. “Don’t do that again.” 

“You don’t tell me what to do.” Junmyeon moves his hand away from his chest. 

Yixing grabs onto it, his fingers lightly curling around Junmyeon’s wrist, between the gold bangles that adorn his wrist. There’s something he wants to say, but he’s holding it back. How unlike him. Junmyeon finds himself searching Yixing’s eyes, maybe for a hint of shame or regret, but there’s nothing. 

Yixing lets go of Junmyeon’s wrist, and Junmyeon can’t bring himself to look into his eyes.

“Everything I do is for your own good.” Junmyeon can’t help but roll his eyes. “It may not seem like it, but I’m not going to do something so insanely reckless that one of us gets hurt.” 

Yixing’s eyes stray to the cut on Junmyeon’s legs, and his expression darkens. 

“I’ll go find the medic,” he utters with narrowed eyes, already whirling around to stalk around the grounds until the poor medic is found. 

Junmyeon doesn’t deny him the right to walk and clear his head, because he can guess what’s troubling his mind. That was only natural given Junmyeon’s gift. 

At first, the King and Queen were worried. Their son didn’t show interest, he was skilled with a sword and excellent at strategy but the motivation was not there. So Junmyeon took it upon himself to find a solution. 

Hours spent looking at the different branches of the future and all the possibilities it held. How a single banquet, or hunt, could affect the performance of their future ruler. What he found instead was a secret he dared to not reveal. 

Apparently, as some trick by the gods themselves, Yixing excelled with Junmyeon by his side. Whether Yixing’s feelings grew into hate or love, whether he wanted to kill Junmyeon or kiss him, he still performed his best with Junmyeon nudging him into all the right situations. 

Manipulative, sure. Expected, of course. But what wasn’t expected was how Junmyeon’s heart squeezed at the sight of the prince, or how he really, _truly_ did want to see him succeed.

What Junmyeon didn’t foresee, was that he would fall in love with the one person he might have to make hate him.

**Author's Note:**

> this is the same au as ch 20 from my Cherry Cola sulay drabbles!! 
> 
> I might write another segment from it for the 12 days bc it's literally one of my fave au's jeirofjerf I also have 3 variations of it maybe I should just write all three tf
> 
> also I feel like I need to explain it's not QUITE enemies to lovers/rivals to lovers but they lowkey didn't like each other at first and I didnt know how to tag that hudiehdiu
> 
> also this yixing is lowkey highboy modelled after Claude from the manhwa "Who Made Me a Princess" so If I ever write it I WILL deliver a cold and cruel and sexy asf yixing yessir


End file.
